A variety of tools have been developed for automated testing of software applications, hardware devices, and related services. Unfortunately, such conventional automated test tools suffer from several shortcomings. For example, automated test tools are often vendor specific, proprietary in nature, and/or designed to work as standalone tools. For at least these reasons, it can be difficult and time consuming to combine, upgrade, and/or substitute such automated test tools. For instance, when a test tool provided by one vendor is replaced or augmented with another test tool provided by another vendor, significant time and resources must typically be consumed in order to update and/or create new test cases configured to run on the other test tool.
As another example, automated test tools are typically designed to test a specific software application and/or hardware device. This can be problematic when there is a need to test a combination of multiple different applications or devices. Although certain test tools may be combined ad hoc into a new testing framework, such a framework is typically unique to a specific test case and/or to a particular combination of applications and/or devices. If a change is made, e.g., a new test tool is introduced, or there is a need to test another unique combination of applications and/or devices, a new framework and test case typically must be developed, or the existing framework and test case updated in order to test the other unique combination of applications and/or devices. Such ad hoc creation or refactoring of an automated testing framework and test case is typically time consuming and labor intensive. The above problems are generally exacerbated for a large organization having multiple groups testing different cross-sections of a variety of applications, devices, and/or related services.